1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side view type LED package, and more particularly, to a side view type LED package with an improved heat dissipation property.
2. Discussion of the Background
Generally, a light source system using a light emitting diode chip (hereinafter, referred to as “LED chip”) has been used by being mounted on various kinds of package structures depending on their intended uses. Among such package structures, a side view type LED package is configured to emit light in a side direction. For example, in small electronic equipment such as a mobile phone, the side view type LED package has been widely used as backlight illumination for a display while the side view type LED package is positioned at a side of a light guide plate to provide light parallel to the light guide plate.
A conventional side view type LED package includes a package body that is made of a resin or ceramic material and has a side surface formed with an opening, wherein a mounting region for an LED chip is provided at the opening formed in the side surface of the package body so that light is emitted in a side direction from the LED chip positioned at the opening of the side surface. The side view type LED package further includes lead frames that are electrically connected to the LED chip in the opening, and the lead frames extend toward a lower portion of the package body to form electrical contacts by means of, e.g., soldering.
However, the conventional side view type LED package has a problem in that since heat dissipation paths are limited only to outer leads which are portions of the lead frames for forming electrical contact surfaces, it is difficult to significantly dissipate heat generated from the LED chip. This makes it difficult to apply a current equal to or larger than a rated current to the side view type LED package. For example, the conventional side view type LED package has used a current (e.g., 20 mA) lower than its rated current (e.g., 30 mA) due to its poor heat dissipation property. This becomes a main cause of limitation on a luminous intensity of the side view type LED package. Furthermore, contrary to a conventional top view type LED package with an LED chip mounted on a top surface thereof, the side view type LED package is difficult to install a heat sink for improving a heat dissipation property, so that the side view type LED package has been used only for limited usage with a current less than its rated current.